NORWALK, CT – Enjoy a night of edge-of-your-seat storytelling through a series of inspiring short films all focusing on the big blue, as The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk welcomes “The International Ocean Film Tour” on Thurs., Nov. 15.

This one-night film fest features inspiring personalities in stories from around the world, as well as from in our own back yard. The films celebrate sailors, boarders, coral-reef conservationists and cinematographers who are doing extraordinary things in and on the oceans.

The films start at 7 p.m., but the entire Aquarium will open at 6 p.m. In addition, the evening concludes with a Q&A about the marine world with panelists from The Maritime Aquarium and Sacred Heart University, whose Department of Biology is a sponsor.

The films will be shown on the giant video wall in Newman’s Own Hall. Expected titles include:
• “The Big Wave Project: A Band of Brothers” (7 minutes) – The name Nazaré makes all surfers’ hearts beat faster. The small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of Portugal has become synonymous with gargantuan mountains of water; massive waves that push the world’s big-wave elite to its limits. When the tide is high in Nazaré and sets of Atlantic storms roll onto shore, only the best surfers dare to get in the water. Audiences come aboard for a wild ride with Sebastian Steudtner, Garrett McNamara and Andrew Cotton.
• “And Then We Swam” (35 minutes) – They didn’t have experience or a clue about what they were about to do. But that didn’t stop rowing rookies Ben Stenning and James Adair from pursuing their dream: crossing the Indian Ocean. Knowing no safety boat could reach them should they ever get into trouble, the thought of the 3,500 miles from Australia to Mauritius was daunting. But Stenning and Adair couldn’t resist the call of adventure. After 116 days on the ocean, they finally approached Mauritius. That's when a gigantic wave hit their boat and they capsized five miles offshore ...
• “Paradigm Lost” (14 minutes) – Kai Lenny – kite surfer, windsurfer and big-wave, tow-in and stand-up paddle surfer – is aptly described as a total waterman. The 25-year-old Hawaiian, who stepped on a surfboard for the first time at the age of 5, is regarded as an exceptional talent. Like no other surfer out there, Lenny thrives on the water, feeling his way into the wind and waves, independent of the equipment. In “Paradigm Lost,” he shows us the ultimate water-sports action in a variety of disciplines and in the best spots worldwide.
• “Vamizi” (24 minutes) – Off the coast of Mozambique, a pristine and dazzling coral reef awaits; one of the oldest on the planet. But this paradise of biodiversity is under threat. Coral bleaching is a warning sign of global warming. “Vamizi” takes us into the fascinating world of coral reefs and shows what we can protect.
• “Water II” (5 minutes) – An ode to waves. Filmmaker Morgan Maassen plunges under the water with his high-contrast, slow-motion camera to show us the world, the waves and the sea from a new perspective.
• “The Ocean Rider” (35 minutes) – Around the world in 220 days. Despite being in his landlocked homeland, the Swiss sailor Yvan Bourgnon dreams big. He embarks on a solo trip around the world in his cockpit-less catamaran. No protection against the elements, no crew, and 55,000 kilometers of open water ahead. On his journey, Bourgnon faces storms, pirates and polluted seas.

Stay after the films for an “oceans Q&A” with Dr. Jennifer Mattei and Dr. LaTina Steele of Sacred Heart University and Barrett Christie and Dr. David Hudson of The Maritime Aquarium.

Tickets are $20, or $18 for Aquarium members. (Note that regular adult Aquarium admission is $24.95. So, with doors opening at 6 p.m. for the Nov. 15 event, you can tour The Maritime Aquarium for an hour and then enjoy this special film fest for less than normal admission.)